Miles reaches 50 wickets but skipper Brown puts Sussex on top
22 September 2016
A composed century by captain Ben Brown put Sussex in a strong position on the penultimate day of the Championship season at the Brightside Ground.
Brown carried his bat, making an unbeaten 118, as Sussex extended their first innings lead to 206 before they were dismissed for 435 on the stroke of tea. On a docile pitch, Josh Shaw completed his first five wicket haul in an innings, and Craig Miles reached 50 Championship wickets in a season for the first time.
Left with a session to bat and make inroads into the deficit, Gloucestershire reached stumps at 88-3, with Chris Dent 47 not out, the left hander passing 6,000 first class runs in the process.
Listen to the thoughts of Craig Miles at the close here :
Gloucestershire had seen plenty of Ben Brown in the reverse fixture at Hove earlier in the season when he made 113, and again here the Sussex captain was measured in his approach.
He survived one chance when on 60, but found useful support from all his partners, a combination which steadily saw Sussex not only past Gloucestershire's first innings total but ultimately into a position to dictate the match.
Brown and Philip Salt were the overnight pair, and within six overs they had erased the remaining 21 runs by which Sussex trailed when play began, Brown cracking three early boundaries off the back foot past point.
Salt showed some smart footwork to avoid playing a ball from Payne onto his stumps, but having reached 42, his highest first class score, his attempted steer to third man off Miles was too delicate and Mustard took the catch with Sussex nine runs in front.
Brown was dealing extensively in boundaries at this point, and his half century, made from 75 balls, contained nine fours. His sixth wicket partner, Chris Jordan, had helped Brown add 30 runs ahead of Gloucestershire having the second new ball available, and the England all rounder was starting to open up when Miles trapped him lbw for 19, giving the 22 year old his 50th Championship wicket of the summer.
Sussex could still have chased batting points at this stage, but Brown was steering both the pace of the innings and the tactics. By lunch he was 65 not out, and Sussex were 95 ahead with four wickets in hand. The strong impression among the crowd was that the visitors were only looking to bat once.
Gloucestershire needed quick wickets after lunch if they were not to face a large first innings deficit but they managed only one, Robinson getting a touch to a ball down the leg side from Miles, and Mustard taking the catch.
The block to further progress was Jofra Archer, whose loose limbed frame offered a contrast to the organised and compact Brown. Archer seemed happiest with anything he could drive, twice punching Miles though extra cover. Jack Taylor, introduced with seven overs left for possible bonus points, posed different questions but Brown's solution was to repeatedly sweep the off spinner, a shot he used to bring up an even paced hundred from 149 balls with 15 fours.
Under almost cloudless blue skies, the pair had added 85 when Archer proved less efficient than his captain at the sweep and was lbw to Jack Taylor for 39. Shaw's fifth wicket finally arrived when Briggs was lbw for 3, and on the stroke of tea Miles bowled Magoffin for 12 just after Sussex's lead had ticked past 200. It left Gloucestershire with plenty to do before a draw could be secured.
Unsurprisingly, Sussex attacked looking for quick wickets, and Chris Jordan broke the opening stand between skipper Gareth Roderick and Chris Dent when Roderick shouldered arms and was bowled for 9.
It brought in James Bracey in a tense situation, but encouraged between overs by Dent, he played spinner Briggs calmly until he was struck on the pad playing back and was adjudged lbw for 12.
The loss of George Hankins shortly before the close, also lbw to Briggs for 6, was a blow Gloucestershire could have done without, and it left night watchman Josh Shaw to keep Dent company until stumps, when they had reached 88-3, still 118 runs behind.
During the final session, Dent passed 6,000 first class runs on his 100th first class appearance. 47 not out overnight, he's one of the pillars standing between Sussex and victory on the final day.
